


Gentle Mother,font of mercy

by tyelpe



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Afterlife, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyelpe/pseuds/tyelpe
Summary: Of course,only Aegon the Unworthy's wife could understand.
Relationships: rhaella targaryen & naerys targaryen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Gentle Mother,font of mercy

The echoes of Daenerys’ distant cries had been enough for her to realize that the embrace of the Stranger was slowly claiming her,numbing her senses and stealing her warmth.

Rhaella felt herself drifting off into a surprisingly welcomed slumber.The relief of it all brought a smile on her pale lips as one last breath escaped them. 

_Peace,at last._

♦

She had spent hours imagining what this place would look like,trying to guess what or who she would first see when she finally entered the Eternal Realm. She knew that she should not have done so.She had been the queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms and mother of the heirs,she had far more urgent matters to attend rather than letting her mind wonder about Death and its mysteries.

Indeed,Rhaella had always been mindful of her duty. Although that alone never refrained her heart from yearning for an « accidental » fall from the highest window of Maegor’s holdfast. Especially when _he_ would leave her laying on her bed,satin sheets caressing her bruised skin as she herself was choking on her own blood and tears, cries of anguish trapped in her throat.

Yet, whatever ideas of afterlife she had modeled in her mind,it was nowhere close to the sight that was now offered to her. The Stranger was nowhere to be seen,neither were the Gods nor the flammes of eternal damnation. Despite everything,Rhaella felt herself release a breath of relief.

_Aerys promised me an eternity of misery in the lowest level of the seven hells because of my hainous « treasons »._

She never commited any of them,she knew.And even if she had wanted to she could not have. It was all a result of his sick mind,but decades of threats had left her ears ringing and her heart troubled as a deep part of her mind had soon come to believe it and another one became convinced that she must have deserved everything ever done to her, as only a cursed being would see themselves punished so.

_« No innocent can ever know pain,the Gods would make sure of that. And here you are. So tell me wife,are you truly innocent ? »_ He once had gleefully whispered against her neck,his breath warm and unpleasant.

Perhaps.Perhaps it was as true as she feared it was.

♦

Yet.

It was not Aerys’ taunting smirk that welcomed her when she finally allowed herself to open her eyes. It was a smile,much gentler than her late husband’s,one that immediately made her heart swell.

_No one ever showed such gentleness since… how long has it been ? How old am I ?_

Rhaella felt herself drawn to these deep purple eyes that calmly watched her,a flash a sad understanding crossing them,guessing the nature of her thoughts. And Rhaella wondered. She wondered about this frail silver haired woman who patiently extended her arms to her, and forgetting all rules,she all but crossed the distance between the two of them and threw herself in the welcoming embrace,delighting in this demonstration of love,one that had never been offered to her in an entire lifetime.

_I had to wait Death to finally know love._

♦

Of course.

Of course there would be only one woman who could truly understand her pain.Understand what she had been through and never judge her for whatever shameful thoughts that had once crossed her tormented mind.

Of course. Who else than the former wife of Aegon the Unworthy could share the feelings of betrayal and sorrow that plagued the heart of the Mad king’s widow.

♦

_« They are not here.They never will. »_ Naerys softly had informed her once,during one of their walks. _« This is our safe haven, no one has even a chance to dream about hurting us. Aemon and Visenya will make sure of that. »_

Aemon,the Dragonknight who follows his sister like a shadow and delight himself in her laughter when he chases her through the flowery meadows. And Visenya, Darksister at her hips ,but a soft grin on her legendary scowling lips,who would spend nights holding Rhaella when she wakes up in terror,the feeling of Aerys’ touch still warm on her skin.

♦

_« Aegon loves to regularly visit and give them a taste of Blackfyre. The idea of his descendants tormenting their own family and destroying his legacy never settled well with him »_

Visenya’s words had shocked her at first,and made her wondering about how they could know about her sufferings,but her kin had simply taken her hand in hers,squeezing it as if giving her the strength she had once lacked.

_« We see.We witness everything.And trust me,Aegon is not the only one rejoicing in their agony »_

With one look she had designated the grim looking man passing by them,walking arms in arms with Rhaegar’s own victim. The man who had declared that _« he did not bend the knee to witness a dynasty sinking into madness »_ , and to which the former conqueror had replied that perhaps he should not have done so,for everything accomplished had been all for naught in the end.

♦

For her entire lifetime she had been Jaehaerys’ daughter,Aerys’ sister-wife,Rhaegar’s mother,Westeros’ queen, but never _Rhaella_. Never her own person. No, her parents had made sure of that,they all took that from her, Aerys and her aunt Jenny’s witch, they all did.

But now that all was over,now that she was walking among the deads,she finally was whom she had wished to be. She was free. Free to smile and snort and cry and let herself sleep for days , and eat blueberries while wearing her smallclothes and sitting on the grass at dawn, or even openly laugh at the Rogue prince’s improper jokes,and listen to Elia singing Rhoynish songs with her children on her laps while Nymeria watched her with tears in her eyes.And most of all,Rhaella was able to play silly games with her own lost babes,Aegon Shaena Jaehaerys and Daeron, while her uncles and aunt Rhaelle were cheering,a glass of wine in their hands and joyful smiles on their faces.

Although,in the end,Rhaella would always find herself coming back to Naerys’ arms and gentle words. Because only her could understand. Only her.

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language so I'm sorry for the mistakes !  
> It has been a while since I last wrote something :/
> 
> I love Rhaella and Naerys so much it's unreal, let them be happy !


End file.
